[2012.11.24] JOSEPH CHANG IS A GOLDEN HORSE FAVORITE

Dada Chen receives a bottle of wine with her name on it

Ivy Chen (right) is envious of Dada Chen's figure

Sandrine Pinna is a frequent film festival guest

Nick Cheung heads to Taiwan
courtesy of on.cc

Chapman To, Joseph Chang, Nick Cheung
courtesy of mingpao.com

The 49th Golden Horse Award takes place tonight in Yilan, Taiwan. This year has been called the most star studded Golden Horse Award of the past ten years. Among the five Golden Horse Best Actor nominees, four are Hong Kong representatives as Nick Cheung Ka Fai, Nicholas Tse Ting Fung, Chapman To Man Jat and Lau Ching Wan gang up on the only Taiwan representative Joseph Chang Hau Chuen. However, Chang Hau Cheung has the home court advantage and is the pre race Best Actor favorite. The Best Actress battle is between Sandrine Pinna and Kwai Lun-Mei. Last year the Hong Kong film A SIMPLE LIFE (TOH JEH)'s Andy Lau Tak Wa, Deanie Ip Tak Han and Ann Hui On Wa stole the spotlight at the Golden Horse.

Lau Tak Wa serves as this year's jury chair, guest presenters include Jackie Chan, Li Bingbing, Ip Tak Han, Jay Chou (Chow Kit Lun), Stephen Fung Tak Lun, Angelababy, and Lin Chiling. The red carpet walk will be where their star power gathers. In the past Best Actor, Actress, Supporting Actor and Actress nominees had difficulties with attending together, this year breaks the ten year record of all the actors being present. The Best Actor nominees include Cheung Ka Fai, Tse Ting Fung, To Man Jat, Lau Ching Wan and Chang Hau Chuen, the Best Actress nominees are Hundred Flower Best Actress Bai Baihe, Hao Lei, Kwai Lun-Mei and Sandrine Pinna (Cheung Yung Yung).

Among the five Best Actors, the 28 year old Chang Hau Chuen is the youngest nominee. He competes with GIRLFRIEND BOYFRIEND, in which he plays a celibate gay man; tonight he can scream at the four Hong Kong representatives, "My home court!" He already won the Taipei Film Festival Best Actor. Earlier he also won the APN excellent film actor award. Tonight at the Golden Horse he has the chance at a triple crown. Winning the APN Excellent Actress with TOUCH OF THE LIGHT, Cheung Yung Yung said that it was a god start and hoped with the momentum she would be able to win the Golden Horse tonight.

The Golden Horse venue had many wild pigeons, some in order to keep them from surprising the stars shot at them with air rifles. One was hit, died and led to a public outcry. Cheung Ka Fai found out and could not help but say it was cruel, pigeon poop was not a problem. To Man Jat said that doves represent peace and the earth belongs to everyone.